The Above
Details
LP / Format
Blue Grape Music / Label
Alternative Metal, Metalcore, Industrial Metal, Nu-Metalcore
Nu Metal
, Grunge
, Alternative Rock
/ GenreTags
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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
That Code Orange have gone so bold is to be credited. That they’ve made such a huge range of stuff work together so well even more so. That none of this feels like a loss to what Code Orange once were once you take it in and digest it is to be given standing ovation.
2mo
90
The Above finds Code Orange continuing a musical story of their own imagining. Whether they’re taking from the past, present, or future of their stylistic influences, no one could question the unique niche they’ve carved out for themselves.
2mo
80
On The Above, Code Orange merge hardcore, metal, and every rock and electronic genre they can think of to make 2023’s most ambitious heavy album.
2mo
80
The Above takes what CODE ORANGE already did, every part of their DNA, and radically rearranges it in bold new forms. For a band that pushed the boundaries of their hardcore and metal roots by incorporating industrial glitch and grind, this is a fearless leap into the unknown, and it almost entirely pays off.
2mo
60
The Pittsburgh hardcore titans unlock eclectic new territory on their fifth album, which perhaps drags on for a little too long.
2mo
50
However, given the evident potential showcased on Underneath, I wonder whether dialing into the most interesting wombo combo presented therein - that metalcore + industrial + bleakness ting - may have borne more fruit than the brighter///broader whole here.
2mo
40
The Above is beneath the band that made Underneath.
1mo
excuse me, what in the good lord is this?? and why is it good???
EDIT: 80-90. Ok so as expected, this thing has really grown on me. I've listened to it a bunch more times and it's easily one of the most fun, catchy and creative albums of the year. Feels super refreshing and obviously, I'm a big fan of this kind of genre, and this feels like a very unique delivery of it. The clean vocals are amazing, the hooks are extremely memorable, the riffs go hard and are really creative as well as the ... read more
Everything I previously enjoyed about Code Orange is an afterthought on their new album. They usually were a mix of heavy and melodic, and I didn’t like the melodic stuff that much. There is not much straightforward grimy metal here. Instead we are gifted a lot of contemporary Metalcore crap. There were two songs I genuinely enjoyed front to back. For the most part I was bored out of my mind or wondering why they are so focused on making such a dramatic, and ambitious clusterfuck instead ... read more
….huh. okay.
this is gonna be a weird one. not sure how it’s gonna hit for everyone. not sure how it hits for me either to be honest.
Alright I was gonna do a full review but I’m backed up with other stuff, so let me write up something quick.
I appreciate the band’s constant urge to evolve and push forward and desire to never settle, but this project is honestly kind of a mess. There are a lot of great ideas but they struggle to come together to make a cohesive ... read more
Catch-up season: One sentence reviews!
This just feels like it's trying so hard that it's passing out from the strain; the style and tone alike are completely inconsistent, and select passages are so rough and pointlessly aggressive that they feel AI generated.
Short Review
After hearing Underneath in 2020 which is one of the hardest heavy metal records I’ve heard in a really long time I was looking forward to what they could do on this one. Man I was let down as this is some annoying ass shit. Mind you this is coming from someone who absolutely loved their last album which was about as grim sounding and dark as a horror movie about Chainsaw Massacres. They sound brilliant when they’re doing heavy metal but when they’re trying this ... read more
I actually think there are some redeeming qualities on this album but yeah it's a big step back
Favorite Track: Grooming My Replacement
Least Favorite Track: Never Far Apart
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Track List
| 1 | Never Far Apart 3:53 | 56 |
| 2 | Theatre Of Cruelty 3:58 | 66 |
| 3 | Take Shape 3:24 feat. Billy Corgan | 68 |
| 4 | The Mask Of Sanity Slips 5:08 | 65 |
| 5 | Mirror 3:59 | 73 |
| 6 | A Drone Opting Out Of The Hive 3:21 | 69 |
| 7 | I Fly 3:41 | 62 |
| 8 | Splinter The Soul 3:49 | 63 |
| 9 | The Game 2:59 | 72 |
| 10 | Grooming My Replacement 2:54 | 75 |
| 11 | Snapshot 3:29 | 65 |
| 12 | Circle Through 2:58 | 54 |
| 13 | But A Dream... 3:45 | 65 |
| 14 | The Above 4:18 | 63 |
Total Length: 51 minutes
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Added on: July 18, 2023